In her first novel to appear in over twenty years, perhaps Agatha Christie's most famous and beloved detective, Hercule Poirot, returns to bring his "little gray cells" to bear on one more case. In the spring of 1934, Poirot is summoned by England's most prominent physicist, Sir Claud Amory. Amory fears that someone in his household is attempting to steal his latest discovery, a formula critical to England's defense. Poirot, with Captain Hastings at his side, rushes to Surrey but arrives too late. Amory has died, his formula is missing, and everyone in this country house, full of relatives and guests, could have been responsible.

Originally written by Agatha Christie in 1930 as a three-act play, now adapted as a novel by Charles Osborne (an expert on Christie's life and work), Black Coffee is classic Christie at its finest, sure to delight newcomers and devotees alike.